Symcat

How we created the most accurate symptom checker on the web

Introduction

symcat.com

Symcat is a consumer health information website I started with Craig Monsen in 2012. The name comes from Symptom-based Computer Assisted Triage. We used data from millions of patient encounters and predictive modeling to help predict what people would eventually be diagnosed with. We went through the Blueprint Health Incubator in New York and currently run a 5-person company. We were the topic of a Harvard study on symptom checkers and in 2015 reported as the most accurate one on the internet.

Specific Product Challenges

• Developing a comprehensive medical ontology that includes lay terms
• Using machine learning to train a predictive model to build differential diagnoses
• Mashup open sources for medical content (Medline and Wikipedia)
• Search engine optimization

Technologies

Ruby on Rails, Python (offline data analysis), jQuery, backbone.js, Devise (authentication)

Validation study

 

Semigran et al, Evaluation of symptom checkers for self diagnosis and triage: audit study. BMJ 2015

 

Press

July 2015

Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/10/harvard-researchers-tested-23-online-symptom-checkers-most-got-failing-grades-heres-how-they-stack-up/

May 2013

Forrester Research - SYMCAT FIGHTS “CYBERCHONDRIA” WITH HEALTH DATA

April 2013

College Candy - Symcat Turns Your Web Browser Into a Doctor’s Office

February 2013

CNBC - Symcat: Symptoms to Solutions

January 2013

Bmore Media - Johns Hopkins med students’ startup launches new product

December 2012

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. Congratulates Ahead Research, Inc. on Winning Cigna Innovation Health Challenge

November 2012

InterWest - Digital Health Entrepreneurs Survey (look for us under “Which company do you wish you had founded”)

October 2012

Johns Hopkins Informatics Grand Rounds - Symcat [video]

Inc. - The Coming Revolution in Health Care

MobiHealthNews - Chopra defends Obama’s approach to healthcare innovation

September 2012

VisionWiz - Check Symptom and Get Instant Health Solution through Symcat

August 2012

Tech Cocktail - Baltimore-based Symcat helps diagnose your health symptoms

Emergency Medicine News - Health Datapalooza: An Explosion of Health Care Innovation

Technically Baltimore - Symcat: web tool from Johns Hopkins medical students offers patients self-diagnosis

Kaiser Health News - App happy health care full of optimism, money

CNN.com - Be careful when diagnosing your symptoms online

July 2012

WSAV - Tech Tuesday: Symcat [video]

The JHU Gazette - Diagnoses at your fingertips

MedCity News - A new kind of WebMD symptom checker for the big data, digital health era?

HealthWorks Collective - Mobile Health Around the Globe: Johns Hopkins Med Students Develop Symcat App for Self-Diagnosis

Mashable - Feeling Sick? Use This Web Tool to Self-Diagnose Your Symptoms

FastCompany - A Visual Guide to Health Care Innovation

AppVita - What’s Making You Sick?

June 2012

GigaOm - Symcat uses data to battle ‘cyberchondria’

MedCity News - 7 consumer, big data healthcare apps that you should know about

O’Reilly Radar - mHealth apps are just the beginning of the disruption in healthcare from open health data

Health 2.0 News - Big Winner Symcat Symptom Checker at HDI

SearchHealthIT - The RWJF Developer Challenge winner: Symcat — from symptoms to solutions

The Health Care Blog - Lightning Strikes Datapalooza

MedCity News - Are you a cyberchondriac who believes in the power of Dr. Google?

All My Faves - Diagnose me: Symcat, the Ultimate, Fastest Symptom Checker

May 2012

Netted - Doctor’s Topics: Belay Hypochondria with Diagnoses from Symcat

April 2012

PSFK - Top 10 Health Innovations Of The Week

March 2012

The Atlantic - Data-Driven Diagnosis: A Google for Your Health Symptoms

Lifehacker - Symcat Diagnoses Your Health Symptoms Like a Doctor Would, Then Tells You What To Do

Medgadget - Driven by Data, Symcat Studies Your Symptoms

January 2012

TechCrunch - NYC TechStars Member Blueprint Health Announces Its First Class Of Startups

Citybizlist - Ahead Research Founded by JHU Students Accepted into NY Accelerator